


make it easy

by myday



Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Confessions, Fluff, Love Confessions, M/M, New Years, Underage Drinking
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-23 19:12:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,974
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13196709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/myday/pseuds/myday
Summary: Changbin had something he wanted to say before the year ended. But, it was easier said than done.





	make it easy

**Author's Note:**

> (woojin voice) hi hello
> 
> i kind of rushed through this, so i don't know how i feel. anyway, as 2017 draws to an end, it's only fitting to have a new years themed short. enjoy!

The countdown to midnight began at 7pm. It was just the nine of them, crowding Changbin’s apartment while his parents were out with friends. Minho had been the first to arrive. That was to be expected of any occasion. The concept of being fashionably late didn’t seem to exist in Minho’s world. Minho’s arrival was followed by Chan’s, then Jisung’s, but after that, Changbin lost track of who came and when. He did, however, recall Felix showing up sometime after Seungmin and Jeongin.

God knows where Felix was now.

It was fifteen minutes to midnight. The only thing left of the pizza they demolished hours ago was the grease stain on the box. Take out boxes lined the kitchen counter, accompanied by too many disposable plates. One would expect nine people to use a total of nine plates, but Changbin guessed that logic didn’t apply at such get togethers. 

Music bounced off the walls of his home, mixing in with the chattering of his friends. Somebody had brought their portable speaker. Changbin put his money on Woojin. 

He wandered into the living room, where Jisung and Jeongin were playing some video game they had stolen from Changbin’s collection. Jeongin was screaming louder than Jisung, but that hardly indicated whether he was winning or losing. He yelled just as loud for either outcome.

Changbin picked up a stray plate lying on a nearby table. He silently backed into the kitchen to dispose of the rest of the scraps. 

“It’s almost midnight,”

Somebody approached from behind. Changbin didn’t have to turn around to know who it was.

“I know,”

He listened as the sound of footsteps against polished floors drew closer. In a heartbeat, Chan was standing next to him, watching him stack paper plates and gather plastic eating utensils.

“You alright?” Chan asked, glancing at Changbin.

Changbin shrugged. He reached down to open the bottom cabinet that harbored the trash bin. “You know how it is.”

Chan pressed his lips together sympathetically. Changbin could feel the concern radiating off of Chan and burning into his skin. He continued to clean, throwing the plates away.

“You should join us out there. Just hang out. Talk.” Chan coaxed, offering a warm smile. With a smile like that, Chan could convince anyone of anything. “It’s your party.”

That was true. It was Changbin’s mother who had suggested throwing one.

Changbin let out a deep sigh. “I should.” He turned to walk out of the kitchen and join the rest of his friends in the festivities and celebration to welcome the new year. He was about to leave when Chan stopped him once more.

“Have you thought about what I said?” Chan reminded him of last night.

“Yeah.”

“Will you do it?”

Changbin paused.

“Yeah.”

“Good,” Chan nodded. “I think it’ll make this easier on you.”

After careful consideration, Changbin thought so too. He wanted easy. Who wouldn’t?

He made his way to where the party was at. Jeongin and Jisung had abandoned their game, opting to join everyone else in another activity. Changbin observed, mildly amused as a blindfolded Seungmin wandered within an inch of Hyunjin, who was trapped in a corner behind a lamp. Hyunjin had on a face of terror as Seungmin reached out and bumped into the lamp instead. Among them, there was somebody missing other than himself and Chan.

Felix was standing off to the side by the speaker, holding Woojin’s phone in one hand and a plastic flute of champagne in the other. It was cheap, grocery store champagne that Changbin bought on a whim while he passed through the alcohol aisle. He didn’t even check the branding. He was only there to pick up standard party essentials, but somehow a bottle or two found its way into his basket.

“Hi, hyung!” Felix called out as Changbin walked closer. His heart shook with every step.

“Hey,” Changbin slid to his side, as if he wasn’t feeling lightheaded. “What are you up to?”

“Just looking for something to listen to,” Felix sing-songed, smiling at the phone screen. Changbin frowned at how particularly giddy Felix sounded. It was probably the champagne.

“Did you find anything good?” Changbin peered over to see what playlist Felix was looking through.

Felix set down the phone on the surface next to the speaker. He faced Changbin promptly. “Nope!” He was much too delighted for somebody who couldn’t find a good song.

“Alright.”

“Hey, we should join their game, hyung!” Felix suggested brightly. His eyes seemed to glitter as they turned to watch the hijinks unfold before them. Changbin caught his words slurring every so slightly. It was definitely the champagne.

Changbin followed Felix’s gaze. Seungmin was still blindly hobbling around the living room, arms outstretched, goofy smile prominent on his face. Jisung and Minho were curled up above a couch, huddling into each other and tensing up as Seungmin turned to their direction. Changbin swallowed the bitterness as he saw Jisung scream playfully and bury his face into Minho’s neck. Minho laughed and put an arm around Jisung. They were lucky. For them, it happened so naturally.

“You go ahead. I’ll join you in a second.”

Changbin spun on his heel and fled for the kitchen before Felix could protest. He bumped into Chan as he emerged from the doorway.

“Just letting you know, your trash is full,” Chan told him, jabbing a thumb behind him.

“I can’t do it.” Changbin looked nervously up at Chan. “It’ll ruin everything.”

Chan’s neutral expression faded into something of disappointment. “We talked about this. You said you wanted this.”

He did. He really did.

“I don’t know how.”

Chan put a firm hand on Changbin’s shoulder, shaking him lightly. “You do. Just tell him.”

That was easier said than done. 

“Okay?” Chan tilted his head, offering a comforting smile.

_ I don’t know. _

“Okay.” Changbin sighed. It was just to appease Chan. He’s had this conversation more times than he can count on one hand. It always ended the same way.

“Look. If you really feel unsure, and you’d rather do it another day, just wait. It’s your choice.” Chan patted him on the back and walked away. “Hey, mind if I join?” He called out.

They were starting a new game. Seungmin had caught Woojin, who had been standing on a chair, pressed close to the wall. Chan was being blindfolded now. Changbin decided to follow.

“Hyung, over here!” 

Changbin looked down. Felix was sitting underneath a table with his knees pulled to his chest. There was barely enough space next to him for one more person. Despite that, Changbin got down and crawled next to Felix. Felix visibly attempted to curl into himself further to make room. Changbin didn’t know why they were even trying. 

“There’s no room,” Changbin whispered.

“I just want you to hide with me.” Felix replied, a little too frank.

Changbin pressed his lips together as he settled down. It was cramped underneath the table. His shoulder pressed against Felix’s. His legs squished uncomfortably against his torso. Changbin was close enough to hear the familiar sound of Felix’s steady breathing as they waited for Chan to start searching for them.

They watched as Chan shuffled further away, heading towards where Jeongin was giggling behind the couch.

Changbin felt Felix lean his head against his shoulder. He tensed.

“Is something wrong?” Felix lifted his head.

Of course, Felix could tell something was wrong. Physical contact and close proximity wasn’t unusual for them. In fact, it was familiar and came with ease. Changbin chided himself for being so unusually awkward.

“Nothing,”

“Did I do something?”

“No, it’s nothing,” Changbin reached over and gently guided Felix’s head back against his shoulder. Luckily, Felix didn’t push it. Instead, he relaxed against Changbin. Changbin let himself be comforted by the warmth of Felix’s body pressed into his. Aside from the happenings out from underneath the table, it was just the two of them.

Changbin inhaled softly, feeling his palms start to sweat. He wanted to say something but, he hesitated too long. Felix shattered the silence first.

“Hyung?” Felix sounded groggy.

“Yeah?”

“You’re really…” Changbin glanced at Felix out of the corner of his eye. Felix looked like he was struggling, eyebrows knitted and all. “...great. I like...spending time with you. A lot. Like a lot, a lot.”

At the sound of that, explosions went off in Changbin’s chest and he was powerless to stop it.

“Oh,” Changbin’s throat tightened. “I like spending time with you, too,”

“Really?”

“Yeah. A lot.”

Until that point, their close bond was an unspoken one, neither of them bringing up how attached they actually were. Nobody ever did. It was just accepted. It would’ve been a nicer moment if Jisung hadn’t screamed bloody murder because Chan found him.

“Hey, guys!” Minho exclaimed as Changbin and Felix crawled out from their hiding space. “Sixty seconds to midnight!”

Chan pulled the blindfold from his face. “And the countdown begins!”

Changbin got onto his feet, brushing his knees off and smoothing out his shirt. He waited for Felix to get up as well.

“Hyung, I…”

Oh. He wasn’t done.

“Yes?” Changbin was nervous to see where he was going.

“I…” Felix was having a hard time. Changbin forced himself not to get his hopes up. “I...I’m a little tipsy.”

Changbin wanted to laugh. “I know. Just a little.”

“But, I’m being honest, okay?” Felix looked at Changbin dead in the eyes pleadingly. 

Changbin’s breath caught in his throat. “Oh. Okay.”

The overexcited voice of Seungmin cut through the air, interrupting them. “Thirty!”

“I feel things.” Felix said simply. “I feel weird.”

“Weird?” That didn’t sound good.

“You make me feel weird things.” Felix looked away, as if he was still trying to comprehend it himself. “But, it’s not bad. It’s a good weird.”

Changbin could hardly be sure of what Felix was trying to say. “Do you...want me to do something different? Like what could I--” 

“Twenty!” There goes Jeongin, counting down the seconds.

Felix cut him off. “No, no. It’s…” He sighed heavily. “I might. Like. You.” He tensed up, waiting for Changbin’s response.

Natural instincts kicked in. Changbin made a feeble attempt to stop the ridiculous smile from spreading across his face. His heart thumped against his chest. He was sure it would find a way to jump out of his body and run towards an open window. 

“Ten!”

“What do you think?” Felix asked apprehensively.

Nine.

“I think,”

Eight.

A million emotions flashed across Felix’s face as he awaited Changbin’s response.

Seven.

Changbin tried to determine them all.

Six.

“I like you, too,”

Five.

A million emotions turned into one. It was joy.

Four.

“Really?” There was relief. Happiness.

Three.

“Really.”

Two.

The weight that had been sitting on Changbin’s chest for months bloomed into something else. Something better. Easier to carry.

One.

Felix laughed, and everyone around them cheered as the new year arrived. Changbin’s cheeks were starting to ache. The worry was gone. He meant to tell Felix first, he really did. But, Felix had beat him to it, and Changbin really didn’t mind that.

 

It was just Changbin and Chan left in the apartment. The party died off shortly after midnight. As usual, Changbin was left to clean up after them. Chan stayed behind to help out.

They moved about the apartment in a comfortable silence. 

“Did you do it?” Changbin figured Chan already knew the answer, yet the elder asked anyway.

“I did.” Changbin picked up another empty champagne flute.

“And?”

“And, what?”

“Was it as hard as you thought it would be?” Chan walked over and opened a trash bag for him. 

Changbin dropped the plastic vessels into the bag. “No.” He felt the corners of his lips twitch up in a fond smile. “Felix made it easy.”

**Author's Note:**

> as usual, it would be nice if you could let me know what you think!


End file.
